So what has been the response to the report? One seemingly positive impact was the swift coverage of Global Witness’s work by international media outlets from The New York Times to Buzzfeed. If some of the more lurid details of the Hun family’s abuse of power mean that there is a commercial rationale for a broad tranche of the press to publish the story and raise their readership’s awareness of corruption in Cambodia, then that’s all the more to the good. For their part, The New York Times is correct to draw attention to the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The importance of this legislation is that it prohibits American firms from gaining an improper business advantage through dealing with foreign officials.

Another notable reaction to the report has been the publication and circulation of this photograph and others like it by Hun Sen and his relatives. It shows the Prime Minister in his office, surrounded by his sons and daughters, in a pose of informal celebration. Among those present are Hun Manet (far left), his eldest son and heir presumptive, and Hun Mana (front left, kneeling), his eldest daughter who has the largest number of business holdings of anyone in the family. The message is clear: “We don’t care about your report or your allegations, our position is secure”. More forebodingly, it evidences a cocksure and negligent elite, furthering their commercial dominance at the expense of Cambodia’s environment and uninterested in the social tensions plaguing the country.

In a region where extremist Buddhist and Islamic elements are often in conflict, Cambodia has a curious reputation for religious tolerance. Hun Sen himself is alleged to have directed killings of the Cham Muslim people during the Khmer Rouge years, yet his government have manufactured an Islamic support base by fostering links with religious leaders. Now, he seems to be using that support to leverage criticism of the political opposition, claiming that they would be anti-Islamic. This policy of divide and rule seems bitterly ironic given the Cham’s low participation in the country’s economic growth.

The case of Tonle Sap lake, the ‘beating heart’ of Cambodia which is slowly drying up is yet another indictment against Hun Sen. Deforestation and damming, to provide land for commercial farming and fuel for industry, are both probable causes of the ecological damage to the lake, and also activities that have been linked to the various businesses in the Hun corporate empire.

The case is quite clear; the economic dominance of Cambodia by the Hun family is destructive and corrupt. Unfortunately, outside the media, there has not been a significantly critical response in the West. The lack of comment from implicated firms, such as Apple, is deeply dispiriting. Global Witness provide a clear and reasonable framework for firms investing in and trading with Cambodia in the final pages of the report. The expectation for business activity with politically exposed persons to be stringently assessed is not unreasonable, it would help ensure compliance with the 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for American businesses and the 2010 Bribery Act for their British counterpart.

If British and American companies cannot even take these basic steps, then the danger is twofold. Firstly, the Huns’ economic oligopoly will continue to be legitimated by foreign businesses. Secondly, anti-corruption measures in both the USA and the UK will be shown to be toothless. Cambodians deserve better.

(Global Witness’ report, “Hostile Takeover”, can be downloaded on their website)

About Arnot Birss

Arnot Birss is a third year English Literature student at the University of St Andrews, focusing on 20th century writing. He has contributed to several current affairs publications. His interests lie in the promotion of institutional transparency and the South East Asia region.

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